Kuwait’s Public Works Ministry has issued a tender for the New Maternity Hospital, to be located in the Shuwaikh area of Kuwait City.

The deadline for prequalified international contractors to submit bids is 7 June 2015.

The hospital will have 600 beds for adult women and 216 neo-natal intensive care beds. It will be located adjacent to the existing maternity hospital and cover a total area of 2.2 million square feet over eleven stories.

The work involves designing, constructing, equipping and maintaining the hospital.

The surgery department includes 26 obstetric and gynaecology operating suites, as well as 42,000 square feet of diagnostic imaging space with two MRI units. The facility will also have 228 labour, delivery, recovery, postpartum (LDRP) rooms.

Facilities will also include antenatal and gynaecology, maternal and foetal assessment and early pregnancy assessment outpatient units. There will be an education and training centre and several public retail and dining venues.

US-based TRO-JB is the design consultants.

The project was originally tendered in 2012.

It is part of a Health Minstry plan to expand nine hospitals to improve the provision of public health services in the country. 

A tender for the Jahra New Hospital was cancelled and transferred to the Amiri Diwan, which will directly negotiate a contract.

The local Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons signed a $940m contract for the construction of a 955-bed annex to the Farwaniya hospital in 2014, and a KD232m ($802m) contract for design and construction of the expansion of Adan Hospital.

The Al-Razi and infectious disease hospitals are already under construction by Alghanim International General Trading and Contracting (local).

Shapoorji Pallonji (India) and the local Al-Sager General Trading & Contracting Company were awarded the Sabah hospital expansion for a price of $631.3m.